Closed Holywell Mead pool in High Wycombe costs £12,000 a year (From Bucks Free Press)

Closed Holywell Mead pool in High Wycombe costs £12,000 a year

11:44am Tuesday 6th October 2009 in Search By Oliver Evans

CLOSED Holywell Mead swimming pool has cost taxpayers £12,000 this year, it was revealed last night.

Wycombe District Council – which closed the facility to save £66,000 a year – is paying £12,014.71 in business rates to the Government this year.

The revelation came amid angry scenes between ruling Conservatives councillors and the Liberal Democrat at last night’s meeting of the authority.

The Tory-run council approved closure in February – and is now calling for the matter to be dropped. One said keeping the pool open is a “dream”.

Last night Lib Dem member Julia Wassell said: “I think we have got to the truth of the matter now.”

The cash was “being wasted by the council when it could have waell gone to the running of the swimming pool”.

And she slammed the council’s refusal to reveal how much the pool and surrounding land is worth.

She told cabinet member Roger Colomb: “Are you telling me, Councillor Colomb, that the public of Wycombe are not allowed to see a register of capital assets of their town?”

The council should “hang its head in shame”, she said.

But Cllr Colomb said the figure was commercially sensitive. And he said: “They are not available to you. You really have got to face up to life and not to continue to pursue a dream.”

Conservatives have become increasingly frustrated about repeated questions about the closure, opposed by more than 2,000 Bucks Free Press readers.

Last month leader Lesley Clarke said the matter is “shut” and told Lib Dem Trevor Snaith: “We did not have the money to keep it open. I don’t know how many times I have to say that to yourself and the Bucks Free Press.”

And last night council chairman Roger Wilson said: “Holywell Mead took the decision last year, bang, gone, dead.”

But the matter refused to die at last night’s meeting of the authority, run by 49 Conservatives to seven Lib Dems, two Labour and two independents.

In the session for public questions Rachel Fryer asked if there had been any strategy discussions and why a bid to keep it open by volunteers had been rejected.

Cllr Clarke said there had not been discussions and the plan relied too heavily on volunteers, safety issues were under-estimated and costs were not realistic.

Asked by Lib Dem Steve Guy why she said the matter was shut she said: “Obviously, it doesn’t get through to you does it?”

A meeting with four activists found three only used the pool once in the last year, she said – showing it was under-used.

Resident Neil Bailey, one of those who attended, then shouted from the public seating: “Lesley, I’ve got to take exception.”

After Cllr Guy asked if the volunteer group was “wasting their time” Cllr Clarke said: “I know you have to tell people 22 times before they actually take it in, we are not opening the pool again, we don’t have the money to open the pool.

“However, we will work with the group to see what we can do with Holywell Mead.”

Options for the future of the site would be brought forward for consultation soon, Cllr Clarke said.